Appearances Can Be Deceiving
by Vanex
Summary: My summary for this story was too long. Look at my profile for the summary. Main Pairing: Kyuubi x Akane
1. Prologue

**Vanex: _Hello all, welcome to another story of mine. For those who have read __The Ninja that Wields the Keyblade__, you have seen my "trailer" for this story. To all who decided to click on this story, I hope you enjoy it. I know I will enjoy writing it._**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Kyuubi Talking"**

"_**Kyuubi Thinking"**_

**Prologue**

Naruto is exhausted. Not physically, but mentally. It had been another "great" day with Team 7. That would be Kakashi telling Naruto and Sakura to do chakra control exercises while he takes Sasuke elsewhere. Sakura would then hit Naruto, then go to watch the Uchiha.

"_I bet he is secretly teaching the teme all sorts of techniques. It's always about him. I should leave this village."_

"_No you shouldn't. Konoha is a great place to live. The ninja are honorable and everyone is friendly."_

Naruto shakes his head. Where did that thought come from? He suddenly finds it very hard to think.

"_My head, what's-"_

Naruto staggers, but then straightens up.

"_What was I thinking about? Oh that's right, I was thinking about getting stronger so I can help defend Konoha."_

Naruto walks on.

Meanwhile, inside Naruto's mind, a certain demon sighs.

"_**How could they do this to him?"**_

A tear drips from the Kyuubi's eye.

"_**If only he could remember me."**_

Back outside, Naruto walks home. However he doesn't notice the two figures in the alleyway.

"Is that him?"

"Yes."

"Do we approach him?"

"We wait until he reaches his house. We will speak to him there."

The two figures move out of the alley and follow Naruto down the street.

Naruto collapses onto his bed. He is ready to fall asleep when he hears a knock at his door. He gets up, and opens the door.

"Can I help y-"

Naruto's eyes widen.

"Hello, Naruto. Can we come in? We have something important to discuss with you."

Naruto can't believe it. Orochimaru of the Sannin and someone in a black cloak with red clouds are standing in the doorway.

**Vanex: _I know it's a short prologue, but I had to stop it there. It was the perfect moment to stop. See you all next time!_**


	2. Chapter 1

**Vanex:_ Hello all! Here I am with Chapter 1! Oh, before you read, I realized something while I was typing this chapter. I broke continuity a bit. In this story, Naruto didn't learn about the Kyuubi when he graduated. The Mizuki incident never happened. With that out of the way, enjoy the chapter!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Kyuubi Talking"**

"_**Kyuubi Thinking"**_

**Chapter 1**

Naruto sits in his apartment, thinking. Then again, after the conversation he had with Orochimaru and Nagato, he has every reason to be thinking.

"_What do you want?"_

"_We just want to talk, Naruto. May we come in?"_

_At first he wanted to let them in. Then, his head became clouded with thoughts of going to the Hokage. But then, he heard a faint voice. A woman's voice._

"_Ignore the false voice, Naruto. Let them in."_

_There was something familiar about the voice. He knew he could trust it. He suddenly realized his head had cleared._

"_Come on in."_

_Naruto stepped aside to let Orochimaru and his associate in. All three crossed over to the living room. It was sparse, with only a couch and one chair. Naruto sat in his chair while his guests took the couch._

"_I know who you are, Orochimaru, but I don't know your associate here."_

"_My name is Nagato. Nagato Uzumaki."_

_Naruto's eyes widened._

"_Uzumaki? Does that mean you're family?"_

"_No."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You're not an Uzumaki."_

"_I'm not?"_

"_Sorry Naruto, but you're not an actual Uzumaki."_

_Naruto stood in anger._

"_Then who the hell am I?"_

"_We don't know."_

_It was Orochimaru who spoke._

"_You're a mystery, Naruto. As far as we can tell, you were born in Konoha, but there are no records. No birth certificate, no parents, nothing. You don't officially exist, yet here you are."_

_Naruto sat back down._

"_I don't exist?"_

"_Of course you exist. You're here aren't you? You just aren't officially a citizen of Konoha."_

"_Then, how can I be a ninja? I need to be an official citizen first."_

"_Exactly. You aren't an official ninja either. You have nothing binding you to Konoha."_

"_What does this have to do with your visit?"_

"_Right, on to business. Naruto, you live in this village. You live in the shittiest apartment, you're sold the worst qualities of food and clothing, people try to assassinate you, and to put it bluntly, the whole village treats you like shit."_

"_So what?"_

"_Why do you let them treat you like this?"_

"_I-"_

_His thoughts were clouded again._

"_I-"_

"_Why do you defend a village that hates you?"_

"_Konoha is a great place. They are honorable people."_

"_Are you sure about that?"_

_Naruto could barely think._

"_My head."_

_Orochimaru frowned, then got up and inspected Naruto. He made some hand signs and touched a spot on the back of Naruto's neck. Naruto's thoughts completely clear._

"_What was that?"_

"_I'll get to it in a minute. Answer the question first."_

_Naruto thought long and hard._

"_I don't know."_

"_Exactly."_

_Naruto sat in silence._

"_Tell me Naruto, do you know what really happened the night Kyuubi attacked?"_

"_The Kyuubi was killed by the Fourth Hokage."_

"_Not even close. The Fourth couldn't kill it. He sealed it inside a human infant."_

_The pieces fell into place in Naruto's mind._

"_The infant was me wasn't it?"_

"_That is correct, Naruto."_

_Everything made sense. The glares, the assassinations, the treatment he received. It all made sense._

"_Actually, that's only partly true."_

_It was Nagato who spoke. Naruto looked at him in confusion._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_The fox who attacked Konoha wasn't the Kyuubi."_

"_What?"_

"_The Kyuubi disappeared a month before the attack. We still can't locate him."_

"_How are you certain?"_

"_The Kyuubi is male. The fox that attacked is female."_

_Naruto pondered for a few seconds._

"_Then who attacked Konoha?"_

"_Why don't you ask her yourself?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You can communicate with the fox inside you. You just have to open the link."_

"_I'll try it later, what is the reason you came here?"_

"_We came because Konoha is trying to take over the world."_

"_What?"_

"_I'm serious. They've been planning this for a while. Ever since the Third Hokage took office the first time. It's why I actually left."_

"_You wanted to protect the world."_

"_Exactly."_

"_Why should I believe you?"_

"_Because of the seal on the back of your neck."_

"_What?"_

"_Remember that you couldn't think clearly before? There is a seal on the back of your neck that affects your thinking process. It allows the person who put the seal on you to somewhat control your mind and thoughts."_

_Naruto was shocked._

"_In fact, I only shut it off. I didn't remove it."_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because the person responsible will know next time they use it and you don't obey." _

"_What will happen?"_

"_To remove suspicion, I'll only reactivate some of the functions of the seal for now. You'll feel when it's being used and you'll hear the thoughts that the person is attempting to force on you. However, your thoughts will remain your own. This is so you can act like the seal is fully in effect. Also, you'll hear the thoughts in the voice of the person responsible, instead of your voice. If I'm right, the person responsible is someone close to you."_

_Orochimaru did some more hand seals and touched the seal on Naruto's neck._

"_How do I know that you're not deceiving me? Could you program any voice?"_

"_No, that's not even possible. I can only have it work in your voice or the person responsible."_

_Naruto felt a twinge on his neck._

"_Come to the office of the Hokage, Naruto. Come immediately."_

_Naruto couldn't believe whose voice it was._

"_It's the old man! How could he do this?"_

"_All we know is that their plans for world domination involve turning you into their loyal weapon. We don't have all the details."_

"_What do you need me for?"_

"_We have a plan of our own. We plan to restore the Juubi to this world."_

"_The Juubi?"_

"_Yes, he is the guardian of the world. He is only to be summoned in an emergency. We fear Konoha will make it's move soon."_

"_How will you summon it?"_

"_The Juubi is currently sealed inside the moon. To release him, we need the seal guardians."_

"_The seal guardians?"_

"_Nine powerful entities that control the seal. The seal is made up of their chakra."_

"_The Nine Tailed Beasts."_

"_Exactly. However they were all captured. Most have been sealed into human hosts. Two were not. We have located the seven sealed ones. The only two that are missing are the Hachibi and the Kyuubi."_

"_What does that have to do with me?"_

"_We know that the fox sealed inside you knows something about the disappearance of the Kyuubi. She is our best chance at finding him."_

"_So you only need me for the fox?"_

"_No, we also wanted to give you a chance at freedom. We can tell that you have a great amount of potential. We want to give you the chance to tap into that potential and help us save the world from Konoha."_

"_Can I think on it?"_

"_Of course. We'll give you a week, then leave. If you want to come with us, go to the address written on this paper. If you don't, you're stuck here."_

_Orochimaru hands Naruto a slip of paper._

"_You should probably head over to the Hokage's office before he gets suspicious."_

"_Goodbye, Naruto. I hope you make the right choice."_

_Afterword, Naruto went to the Hokage's office. He made up an excuse that he was training very hard and exhausted himself. The Hokage bought it and treated Naruto to some ramen._

Six days have passed since the conversation. Thanks to Orochimaru freeing his mind, Naruto could notice how often the Hokage would manipulate his mind. He could also truly see Konoha for what it was and didn't like what he saw. For him, the decision was easy.

Orochimaru and Nagato were sitting in their hideout when there was a knock at the door. They look to see Naruto standing there.

"I will come with you."

**Vanex: _Now you guys can see that everything you knew about the Naruto universe is going to be severely twisted. I have only just begun to twist it. I haven't even reached the twisted idea that spawned this story in the first place. See you all next time!_**


	3. Chapter 2

**Vanex: _Hello all! Here is Chapter 2!_**

**Disclaimer I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

**Chapter 2**

"We will leave in a few hours. If you have anything to do before we leave, do it now."

"Can I leave a goodbye present?"

A grin appears on Orochimaru's face.

"Will it be something to laugh at?"

"You're talking to the Prank Master from Hell. It will be awesome."

"Very well. Meet us here when you're done."

A few hours later, Naruto returns.

"Everything is set up. There's just two things I need to do."

"What are they?"

"The first is this."

Naruto takes off his orange jacket and tosses it to the ground.

"The second is this."

He takes off his headband, pulls out a kunai, makes a scratch mark across the leaf symbol, and drops the headband on top of the discarded jacket.

"Now, I'm ready."

"Very well."

Orochimaru removes the seal from Naruto's neck.

"Let's go."

The trio slip out the village through an old secret ANBU exit. The moment they are out, Naruto makes a hand sign.

The Third Hokage is sitting in his office, reading a certain orange book, when he feels a tremor. He looks out the window. Someone set up paint bombs everywhere. All the clan houses, civilian homes, the Hokage monument, and the Hokage tower are covered in brightly covered paint. Everything from pink to bright orange. The whole village looks like a bright nightmare.

"ANBU! Find the culprit!"

The ANBU search for five hours. Finally, the ANBU captain returns.

"Lord Hokage, we found these."

"The captain hands the Hokage the discarded jacket and headband.

"Get me Team 7 and Team 8 immediately!"

Within ten minutes, both teams are assembled in front of the Hokage.

"Naruto Uzumaki has abandoned Konoha."

This surprises everyone.

"Even though he was a dead last, I know he would never leave Konoha."

"Then tell me, whose headband and jacket are these?"

He shows them the items.

"Team 8, your mission is to locate and retrieve Naruto. Team 7, until Naruto is retrieved or replaced, you are suspended."

"What? I'm an Uchiha! You can't suspend me!"

"Yeah! You should listen to Sasuke-kun!"

"I'm the Hokage and I can! A genin team can't operate with only two genin. You need a third genin."

Sasuke grumbles.

"Dismissed."

It would be a few hours before Team 8 reports that Naruto escaped into Rice Country.

"How long will it takes us to reach Otogakure?"

"We'll arrive tomorrow. In the meantime, we'll spend the night in one of my old hideouts."

The trio arrive at the hideout.

"You guys said I should talk to the fox sealed in me to find out where the Kyuubi is, right?"

"What about it?"

"Will tonight be a good time?"

"That should be fine."

"Come over here, Naruto. I'll help you get to your mindscape."

Naruto sits on the floor in front of Nagato.

"Meditation is the best way to get there. Sit like this Naruto."

Naruto sits in a meditative stance.

"Now, concentrate. Go beyond your thoughts and memories. Reach the area of silence."

Naruto concentrates. The sounds of his memories and thoughts become smaller and smaller until, nothing. No sounds at all. He opens his eyes. Naruto is now standing in what looks like a sewer.

"**Come this way."**

Naruto jumps at the voice, but follows its instructions.

"**I'm in here."**

Naruto enters a large chamber. On the other side is a cage with two big, red eyes staring at him.

"**I know why you're here. Give me a moment to change into a form you'll be more comfortable talking to."**

The fox began to glow. Her body shrinks and morphs until Naruto is starring at a young woman. He can't help but notice how beautiful and strangely familiar she is. Her red hair sways as she opens her eyes to reveal their red color.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Akane. In human terms, I'm the Kyuubi's wife."  
"Do you know where the Kyuubi is, right now?"

"Yes."

"Why did you attack Konoha?"

"They kidnapped my husband. They wanted to turn him into a loyal weapon that would destroy the other nations for them. They actually succeeded in trapping him in a human form."

Naruto ponders for a moment.

"Who is the real Kyuubi?"

"I can make an image of him appear. It will be of him in his current trapped form."

Naruto turns around to see the image. His eyes widen.

"But that's-"

"Yes, beloved. You are the real Kyuubi."

Naruto turns back to Akane in shock.

"How?"

"The Fourth Hokage attacked our den. He used a special seal to force you into your actual human form. From there, he applied others seals to alter your appearance and suppress your memories. When I found out, I was enraged. I immediately attack Konoha. The Fourth stupidly thought I was one of the lower foxes. He decided to seal me inside you to increase your power and make you a greater weapon. You were never supposed to contact me."

Naruto falls to the floor.

"Everything I've known is a complete lie? I'm not even human?"

"I'm sorry, beloved."

Naruto looks up at her.

"Is there a way to remove the seals?"

"I don't know about the seal forcing you to retain a human form, but the seals altering your human appearance and blocking your memories might be removable. You'll have to ask your allies outside."

"Where are the seals located?"

"The seal forcing you to retain your human form is on your back. The other two are on your chest."

Naruto stands up again.

"Thank you for telling me the truth."

"I hope you can get yourself restored. I missed you."

Naruto realizes something.

"When I was still under the influence of the seal, I almost didn't let Orochimaru and Nagato into my apartment. Your voice was the one that cleared my head, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye, Kyu-kun. I love you."

"Until I can remember you, I can't quite return that."

Naruto opens his eyes, back in the outside world.

"Well, Naruto? How did it go?"

"You both should get comfortable. This will take a while."

About twenty minutes later, Naruto finishes his story.

"Let me take a look at the seals."

Naruto removes his t-shirt.

"Hmm. The seal that is altering your human form looks familiar, but I'm not sure. I'll have to wait until we get back to Oto, before I can be certain."

"Gee, thanks."

"Hey! Believe it or not, I am getting old. I can't remember every seal I've ever come across. Anyway, as for the seal blocking your memory, it's a basic memory seal. I can remove it right now."

"Great!"

"However, due to the amount of memories being suppressed, the moment I remove the seal you'll fall unconscious. My guess is that it will take all night for your mind to process the memories."

"Fine! With everything I've learned today, I probably wouldn't have gotten a good night's sleep anyway."

"Okay, here we go."

Orochimaru makes some hand signs.

"Memory Prison Unseal!"

Orochimaru presses his hands to the seal. The seal glows and fades away as Naruto screams. He falls unconscious.

"What now?"

"We wait until morning. Then we will see if his mind is restored."

Orochimaru and Nagato place Naruto into his bed, then lay down in their own beds, waiting for when the Kyuubi awakens.

**Vanex: _The big shocker! This was the twisted idea that spawned this story! I've read stories in which Naruto becomes the Kyuubi's lover, ones where he becomes the new Kyuubi, and ones where he merges with the old Kyuubi. However I have never seen any stories in which Naruto is the Kyuubi __from the beginning. Twisted, isn't it? See you all next time!_**


	4. Chapter 3

**Vanex:** **_Hello all! Here is Chapter 3!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

**Chapter 3**

Memories surge through his mind, putting themselves back into place. Memories of his life, becoming one of the nine, meeting Akane, being captured. All of them come flooding back.

"Kyu-kun? Wake up, Kyu-kun."

Kyuubi stirs. He opens his eyes to find himself in his mindscape, but it has changed shape. Instead of a sewer, it's now a very familiar forest.

"_The forest I grew up in."_ The cage is still there, with Akane inside.

"Kyu-kun? Is it fully you?"

"Yes Akane-chan, it's me."

Her face breaks out into joy. She tries to run to him, but only gets as far as the cage doors. Kyuubi chuckles at the sight.

"That cage doesn't fit with this place, don't you agree?"

Kyuubi snaps his fingers and the cage morphs into a collar around Akane's neck.

"Much better, wouldn't you say?"

Akane wastes no time, running into his arms. Their lips meet in a very passionate kiss.

"I missed you, so much."

"I know, Akane-chan. I love you."

They stay there wrapped up in their embrace for what seems like an eternity.

"I have to go."

"But we were just reunited."

"I know, but I do have to work on releasing you and destroying Konoha. Besides, we will still be able to talk to each other."

"I know. Just be careful. I don't want to lose you again."

"I promise you. We'll be together forever."

Kyuubi opens his eyes in the real world. Despite there being no windows, he can tell it's now morning. He smiles to himself.

"_Things are going to get interesting."_

He gets up and goes over to a mirror. He stares at his reflection.

"_Damn you, Namikaze. Trying to pass me off as your son."_

A bizarre yet familiar feeling passes over Kyuubi. He feels his control slip momentarily, then he straightens back up.

"_Hmm, it seems there's a bit of Naruto's persona left over. This could be an advantage later on."_

"So, you are awake."

Kyuubi turns to see Orochimaru and Nagato facing him.

"Did it work?"

"Completely."

Orochimaru grins.

"However, I think we should keep the fact that I'm the Kyuubi secret for now."

"Why?"

"If I remember correctly, Konoha has a man in charge of one hell of a spy network. If your village has a spy in it, Sarutobi will learn of my awakening. We'll keep everyone under the belief that I still think I'm Naruto."

"That sounds like a good course of action. But, how will you convince others?"

"Simple, not only do I retain Naruto's memories, but it seems his persona survived. I can use it like a mask."

"That should work for now."

"Good. Well then, shall we continue on?"

The trio leave the hideout.

In Konoha, the Third paces in front of his desk.

"_How could Naruto have broken the mind control seal? I had defenses that should have prevented him from realizing it was there. Unless, someone broke it for him. But, who? The only ones who knew were Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, and myself. Minato and Kushina are dead. I didn't break it. Could it have been Jiraiya? No, he's too loyal to Konoha. Besides, he's the one who put the seal on him in the first place. Someone else must have found out, but who?"_

There is a knock at the door.

"Yes?"

Kakashi walks in.

"Lord Hokage, may I ask what you intend to do about Team 7?"

"Well, considering that Naruto has escaped, we will have to replace him."

"With who?"

"I'll take care of it, Kakashi. Have your team report to Training Field 7 tomorrow. Naruto's replacement will be waiting there for you."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage."

Kakashi leaves.

"_Hmm, we need to place someone who won't need any training on the team. That way, Kakashi can focus more on Sasuke Uchiha. We need to ensure he stays loyal to us. If he were to learn the truth of the Uchiha massacre, he would turn against us. Perhaps we can use him to reclaim Naruto as well. Especially considering who Naruto really is."_

He opens the door of his office.

"Sheila, summon Danzo to my office."

"Welcome to Otogakure, Naruto."

"Sweet!"

"_Good, his disguise as Naruto is working perfectly."_

"I have business to attend to, including your citizenship, Naruto. Nagato, I can assume you'll show Naruto around?"

"Of course, I'll even have him meet her."

"Yes, she might be able to help with the seals. She did dive into seals more than you or I did."

Orochimaru leaves.

"This way."

"There's one thing I don't get. How did you guys know about the mind control seal? I mean, the Third wouldn't have let that information be known to many people."

"That's simple, one of the people who knew about the seal is in this village. This person is also the one who told us to go get you in the first place and who you are going to meet."

"Who is it?"

Nagato leads Naruto through a door. His eyes widen at the person waiting for them.

"Meet one of our greatest allies. The ex-wife of the Fourth Hokage and my cousin, Kushina Uzumaki."

**Vanex: _The plot thickens. With Kyuubi's awakening and Kushina's appearance, what will happen next. And what happened really with the Uchiha massacre? You'll have to find out sometime in the future. See ya!_**


	5. Chapter 4

**Vanex: _Hello all! Here is Chapter 4!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

**Chapter 4**

"I should have known you'd be involved."

"I see your memories are back, Lord Kyuubi."

Nagato looks back and forth at both of them in confusion.

"You two have met?"

Kushina looks at Nagato.

"You didn't live in Uzushiogakure. You don't know Lord Kyuubi's connection to the Uzumaki clan. Sit down and I'll explain."

Nagato and Kushina sit down in chairs while Kyuubi chooses to stand.

"To put it simply, Lord Kyuubi is the source of our sealing knowledge and he helped us build Uzushio. He's revered as somewhat of a god to us."

Nagato looks over at Kyuubi in shock, then back to Kushina.

"How do those two things make him somewhat of a god?"

"Well, you also know that we all had longer lifespans, right? Well, Lord Kyuubi also gave us that."

"How?"

"I infused some of my chakra into the members of the Uzumaki clan."

Nagato looks over at Kyuubi.

"That's all it took to expand their lives?"

"Pretty much. Demon chakra can have many effects on humans."  
"That leaves only one question. I can tell that you knew Naruto was the Kyuubi from the beginning, Kushina. How?"

Kushina exchanges a glance with Kyuubi.

"I was Minato's wife. I knew about the sealing. That event changed my views on my husband and Konoha. I spent weeks trying to free him, but I was caught. They couldn't kill me, because Uzushio, which was still around at that point, would get suspicious. I was to be hidden in a secret prison outside Konoha, but I escaped. I wandered around until I ended up in Oto, while it was still being constructed. They shared my hatred for Konoha, especially when I learned they destroyed Uzushio, so I joined them."

Kyuubi looks at Kushina.

"Why didn't Konoha notice?"

"Because the entire prison was destroyed. They assumed all the prisoners had died."

Kyuubi sniggers.

"They assumed all the prisoners had died? Are they stupid or something? They didn't bother to do a body check or anything?"

"None, from what I've heard."

"You said they destroyed Uzushio. How the hell did they pull that off?"

"They caught the village at a moment when their guard was down. However, a member of the clan managed to escape with the scrolls of our history and seal knowledge. We're still trying to locate him."

Kyuubi closes his eyes in thought.

"Anyway, wasn't there another reason you two came to visit me?"

"Oh, right. Can you look at these seals? Maybe you'll be able to tell us about them."

Kyuubi removes his shirt, yet again, and Kushina inspects the remaining seals.

"I don't recognize the seal trapping you in a human form. However, I know Minato would have kept notes about it. I would need those notes before I would even attempt to remove it. The other seal looks like a seal that maintains a henge, but it's been modified. A certain condition has to be met to remove it."

"Can you tell what the condition is?"

"It's a clever condition. The seal was applied at night, so the moon was out. The condition is that we need to attempt to remove it at night, at the same point in the moon's visibility cycle."

Both Kyuubi and Nagato look confused.

"What do you mean?"

"The moon runs in a monthly cycle from when we can't see it at all to when we can see it completely in the sky."  
"The cycle from a new moon to a full moon and back."

"Exactly."

"So, we need to figure out where in the cycle the moon was on the night the seal was applied?"

"Yes. Otherwise, this seal can't come off."

Kyuubi takes a moment to let all the information sink in.

"So, what now?"

"Well, now we go talk to Orochimaru. Since we're keeping up the pretense that you're still Naruto, you'll be working on a team with two of our genin."

"Works for me, but can we stop at a clothes store? I need to pick a new outfit. I can't stand these clothes anymore."

"Sure, I'll even pay for the new clothes."

The three head off.

**Vanex: _Well, that's another chapter down. By the way, I've come up with a couple of challenges for people to try. Check my forums for the challenges. I will add more of them as I come up with them, but there are only two at the moment of the release of this chapter. Try them, if you want to. Have fun. :)_**


	6. Chapter 5

**Vanex: _Hello all! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Here's Chapter 5!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

**Chapter 5**

The Kyuubi stands in Orochimaru's office alongside Kushina and Nagato, adjusting his new outfit.

"I have to say, that outfit looks good on you."

"Thank you, Orochimaru. It's very similar to the outfit I would always wear in my human form."

The out fit was very simple. On his feet he wore two black combat boots. Going up, he was wearing red pants. Above that was a simple, black t-shirt. Over the shirt, was a long, red overcoat. Tied around his head, is a brand new Oto headband.

"The only differences between this outfit and my actual outfit are that this is shorter, it has a headband, and it doesn't have my name on the coat. I thought it would be wise to keep the name off, for now."

"A wise precaution. Are you ready to meet your teammates?"

Kyuubi nods and Orochimaru presses the button for the intercom.

"Send them in."

The door opens and two genin step in.

"Naruto, I'd like you to meet Dosu Kinuta and Kin Tsuchi. Dosu, Kin, this is Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto, their third teammate, Zaku Abumi, met an accident that cost him his arms. I'm working on a way to help him, but for now, they need a third teammate. You will join their team."

"I understand. It's nice to meet you two." He puts on his normal grin and shakes their hands.

"It's nice to meet you too, Naruto. Kin and I have heard things about you."

"What things?"

"We were told that your last village treated you like crap and that you were a notorious prankster."

Naruto laughs. "Well, we can go get acquainted. Unless you need us for anything else, Orochimaru?"

He shakes his head. "You three can go. I just have a few things to talk with your living relatives, Naruto."

"Very well."

The trio leave. Orochimaru focuses on Kushina and Nagato.

"You think he'll be fine?"

"Sure. The only reason his team in Konoha didn't work out was because the Uchiha is a prick and the other two are his biggest worshipers. Plus, Kakashi is like the villagers."

"Makes sense, Kushina. Nagato, what do they know about Akatsuki?"

"Only that we are after the biju, Itachi is one of us, and that you left our ranks years ago and are considered a traitor to us."  
Orochimaru grins. "Well, it seems the lies have been fed to them. Good. Now, I have to prepare missions for the day."

Meanwhile, in Konoha, the Third Hokage is passing out missions to the teams, when Team 7 approaches.

"Ah, Kakashi. Has you team adapted to its new member?"

"Yes, sir. Sai is a valued member of the team. They have done so well, that I think it's time for a C-Rank mission."

"Very well. I have one right here. Your team is to escort a bridge builder back to Wave Country and guard him as he completes a bridge to the mainland. Bring in the client!"

The door opens and an old man walks him. He's obviously been drinking.

"This is the team you've got to protect me? They don't look like they could protect anyone! Especially the pink haired girl!"

Sakura is pissed. But before she can attack the drunk, Kakashi puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Now now, Sakura. We can't have you attacking the client."

"Team 7, good luck on your mission."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage. Okay team, get your equipment and report to the south gate in one hour. Dismissed."

Back in Oto, something good has happened for the two surviving Uzumakis.

"Lord Orochimaru, we have located Keitaro Uzumaki!"

"You mean the Keitaro Uzumaki that escaped the destruction of Uzushio, with the Uzumaki scrolls?"

"Yes, sir! He's been spotted in Wave Country!"

"Good. What teams do we have available?"

"Just one, sir. Team Dosu."

"Really? I guess we have no choice. Call them in!"

A few minutes later, the requested people are standing in front of Orochimaru.

"Kushina, we have located Keitaro Uzumaki."

"What? Where is he?"

"He has been spotted in Wave Country. I am assigning your team to retrieve him. Be careful to make sure he comes back safely. And be careful yourselves. A Konoha team has been spotted heading toward Wave. They're on a different mission, but it can't hurt to be careful."

"Of course."

"Dismissed!"

Thirty minutes later, the team leaves Oto, heading south. They travel for the entire day, before they are forced to make camp.

"Okay team, tomorrow we will arrive at our destination. We'll have to move quick, because the Konoha team arrived there a couple hours ago. I'll take the first watch. Dosu will have the second, Kin the third, and Naruto the last."

The trio nod and set up the tents. Kushina and Kin share one tent, while Dosu and Naruto take the other. Instead of going to normal sleep, Kyuubi goes to his mindscape. He walks through the forest until he finds Akane. She hasn't noticed him, yet. A mischievous smirk appears on his face. He sneaks up and hugs her from behind. She jumps.

"Did you have to do that?"

"You know you love it."

He kisses her neck, making her moan. She turns and pulls him into a make out session.

"We have years to make up, Kyu-kun."

"Oh I agree, Akane-chan."

**Vanex: _As of June 04, 2012, the sex scene between the Kyuubi and Akane here has been removed to comply with this site's reminder that sex stories and stories with sex scenes are not allowed._**

Akane snuggles against Kyuubi.

"That was good, Kyu-kun. Even though you've had your mind suppressed for twelve years, you still can make me feel good."

"I'd be insulted if I couldn't."

"How long do we have until you leave?"

"We still have a few hours left before I have to take watch."

"That's good, cause I want to spends those hours cuddled up with you."

That's what they did with their remaining time. They stayed snuggled up with each other, relishing in the feeling of being together.

**Vanex: _That takes care of that chapter! Two different teams in the same country on two different missions. How will things turn out when they cross paths? You'll have to wait until next time to find out. See you then!_**


	7. Chapter 6

**Vanex: _Hello all! The move is over and I'm back in business. Now for an update that's been long overdue, even before the move, Chapter 6!_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

**Chapter 6**

"That is going to be one impressive bridge when they are done."

The others nod their heads in agreement with Kin as they make their way towards the town. Upon reaching the outskirts, Kushina turns to her team.

"Okay, somewhere in this town is Keitaro Uzumaki. He has red hair and violet eyes, like I do. Just be careful to not be seen by the Konoha team."

The three nod and the Oto team enters the town.

Meanwhile, at Tazuna's house Kakashi is standing in front of some trees with Team 7.

"Okay, team. We have about a week before Zabuza will come after us again, so we are going to use this time to train. Sakura, you will be climbing trees."

"Sensei, I already know how to do that!"

"Without your hands?"

Kakashi demonstrates the exercise.

"This is a chakra control exercise, so it's important to master it. Now then, Sakura will be doing the exercise. Sai, since I know that you know this, you can use this time to sharpen your skills. Sasuke, since I already taught you this and water walking, I'm going to teach you some new techniques."

Sasuke smirks as he's lead elsewhere by Kakashi. Sai walks off in another direction. Sakura runs up the tree once, decides that she's done the exercise enough, and goes to watch Kakashi train her precious Sasuke.

On the other side of town, Kushina and her team are still searching for Keitaro.

"How could I forget how good Keitaro is at hiding?"

"What do you mean, sensei?" asks Dosu.

"When I was still living in Uzushio, I would play games with my relatives. Keitaro was a master at hide and seek. Well, the hiding part. It would takes whoever was the seeker hours to find him."

"Just great. How are we supposed to find him?" asks Naruto.

"I don't know. But we should rent a room in a hotel, just in case. I'll go do that, you three will keep searching."

"Sure thing, Mom."

Kushina walks off while the genin team turns to face each other.

"We should split up and each search a different part of the village. Right now, we're in the south part. Dosu, you take the west area. Kin, you take the east. I'll search the north side."

The other two nod in agreement and split off, heading to their own areas to search. Naruto rushes off to his area.

Some time later, Dosu and Kin meet up in the center.

"Any luck, Kin?"

"None. What about you?"

"Same here. Where's Naruto?"

"Probably still searching. His area is bigger than ours."

"Let's go meet up with him and help him search."

Naruto is still searching the north area, when Dosu and Kin meet up with him.

"No luck with either of you?"

"None. What about you?" asks Kin.

"None so far. Come on, I still have more to cover."

At the north edge of town, the Konoha team is reentering the village, after having completed their training for the day.

"Good job today, team. We will keep up this training for the entire week. Then we'll be able to hopefully stand up to Zabuza."

Sakura smiles at Kakashi's praise, but the smile drops off her face when she notices a trio of ninja, searching for something. More specifically, she is focused on the one in the red coat.

"Naruto?"

Naruto freezes then turns along with his team to see Team 7, except for Sai, all staring at him incredulously.

"Well, this is a problem."

**Vanex: _I know this is on the short side. I don't care. Sorry, I'm still grumpy from moving. It's a pain in the ass and the rest of my body. See you all next time!_**


	8. Chapter 7

**Vanex: _Hello all! Well, I was astounded when I read the most recent chapter of Naruto. It's shocking. It changes everything we thought we knew about the masked man, "Tobi". I think we can safely say what was in the mystery sixth coffin Kabuto summoned when he coerced Tobi into an alliance. I look forward to finding out the truth. But until then, I can leave you guys with Chapter 7._**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Normal Talking"

"_Thinking/Dreams/Flashbacks"_

"**Demon Talking"**

"_**Demon Thinking"**_

**Chapter 7**

Team 7 and Team Kushina stare each other down, waiting for someone to say or do something. Finally, Sakura manages to say something. "Naruto, where the hell have you've been?"

She stomps angrily towards him, her fist reared back. Team 7 all remember the times that she would hit him. So, it was a big surprise for all of the members of the Konoha team, when he easily catches her fist.

"You know, it's rude to attack someone out of the blue, Sakura."

"What the?"

Kyuubi pushes her back, causing her to trip and land on her butt. "I'm surprised that I would even encounter you guys here. I thought you needed a full squad to perform missions, but it doesn't seem that you have a replacement for me."

Sakura stands back up. "What are you talking about? We do have a replacement!"

"Then, where is he?"

"He's right over-" Sakura pauses when she realizes that Sai is no longer standing where she thought he was.

Sasuke finally says something. "Why, Naruto? Why did you leave? It wasn't like you to just suddenly turn traitor!"

"If you really must know, it's because you never knew the real me."

"What are you talking about?"

"There was a seal placed on the back of my neck. What it does is allow whoever is keyed in to manipulate the mind of whoever the seal is placed on, namely me. This seal was on me for years. I haven't had a single thought that was truly mine for a long time! When I was released, how do you think I was going to react?"

Sasuke is shocked. "A seal? That's ridiculous? Why would they put a seal on you?"

"Why don't you ask Kakashi?"

Sasuke turns to notice that Kakashi looks a little nervous. "What do you mean?"

"The person who was controlling my mind was the Third Hokage. Since Kakashi was assigned to be my sensei, he would have been made aware of the seal. But there is also another reason he knows about it, but I can't disclose that."

"_He was the student of the Fourth Hokage and was part of the plot of capturing me. He knows everything."_

Kakashi notices the last part of Naruto's statement. _"Could he possibly know?"_

Kyuubi suddenly feels a kunai placed against his neck. He looks to see Sai holding the kunai. "Naruto Uzumaki, you are ordered to surrender yourself for transport back to Konoha, to face punishment for your unauthorized departure."

Kyuubi laughs. "You honestly think that I'll surrender, just because you're pointing a kunai at me?"

Sai's eyes narrow, but he doesn't move. "You have no choice, Uzumaki."

Kyuubi laughs again, before shimmering out of existence along with his team.

Team 7 all stare wide-eyed. "What the?"

Kyuubi laughs, revealing that he and his team are standing on a roof some distance away. "You know Kakashi, I'm surprised you didn't have your Sharingan active, considering it was always possible that I might use a genjutsu."

Team 7 are all surprised at how easily they were fooled.

"Anyway, I think it's time for my team to depart. I'm sure we'll bump into each other again."

Team Kushina quickly turn and leave, heading as fast as they could to the hotel. Kushina is just leaving the hotel, when they meet up. "Oh, there you three are. Have you found Keitaro, yet?"

Kyuubi sighs. "No, we haven't. Instead, we bumped into the team from Konoha. It was my old team, now with a ROOT member in the team."

"You're sure?"

"Positive, I could see the signs of the ROOT brainwashing easily. They've seen me and know I'm here."

"We'll have to be careful from this point on. Right now it's late, so we should all get some sleep and resume our search in the morning."

Meanwhile, Team 7 has just returned to Tazuna's house. Sasuke confronts Kakashi.

"Kakashi, what was Naruto talking about? Is it true that you knew he had a seal?"

"It doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Of course it matters! Naruto's abandonment of Konoha made no sense before! Now, I'm finding out about seals. Did you know about Naruto's?"

"I can't reveal that, Sasuke. Drop this conversation and don't think about it or speak of it again. Is that understood?"

Sasuke glares angrily at Kakashi. "Yes, sensei."

Kakashi nods and walks away, leaving Sasuke standing outside, clenching his fists.

**Vanex: _I know it's a short chapter. I've been busy lately. Sorry. Still in the unpacking phase. It's a big pain in the ass. See you all next time!_**


End file.
